1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for providing telephone services and, in particular, to a system and method for providing telephone services upon receipt of an advanced payment.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of wireless telephone services in the United States has grown steadily over the last few years as the offerings, services, and prices of wireless telephones and other wireless components have become more attractive. This evolution has brought service providers the opportunity to target new market segments not served by traditional telephone service business models. For example, credit challenged individuals often have difficulty meeting the credit score requirements that most service providers establish for traditional post-paid wireless services. Although such individuals have traditionally been ignored by service providers operating with a strictly post-paid business model, these individuals may represent a lucrative market segment when managed using a different business model. In addition, an increasing number of elderly people are now seeking the independence and sense of security that owning a cellular telephone can bring. However, unimpressed or even overwhelmed by all of the “bells and whistles” on the latest cellular telephones, unable to manage the small keypads available on many new telephones, and unwilling to sign long-term contracts or accept the uncertainty of a variable monthly bill, elderly users may be reluctant to obtain and use a cellular telephone. Moreover, typical post-paid telephone service plans often include a number of unknown fees, late payment charges, overage costs, and other budget breaking extras. Thus, for the budget-conscious consumer, wireless telephone service may not be a feasible option.
It is also true that in today's society, mobile telephone users are as transient and mobile as the phones themselves. Many individuals, for example, work in jobs that require spending weeks or months in one location before moving on to another location. For such mobile business people, it is often a challenge to find a single wireless telephone service provider and a single plan that accommodates their transitory lifestyle.
Similar difficulties often plague college students who typically spend nine months in their college location and then return home for the next three months of the year. For such college bound students, cost control and a lack of credit history can also make most existing post-paid wireless telephone service plans nearly impossible to secure or manage.
Finally, for families purchasing a cellular phone for a child, the desire to minimize the financial risks associated with the ownership of such a cell phone can be paramount. Safety is also a critical concern for parents of children using cellular phones. For example, parents may want to monitor whom their children are calling and how often such calls are being placed.
Accordingly, the disclosed systems and methods are directed towards overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.